NEED TO KNOW
While Please Don’t Destroy’s run on Saturday Night Live has come to an end after four seasons of producing and starring in hilarious digital shorts, Ben Marshall, John Higgins and Martin Herlihy still have strong memories of their early days on the long-running NBC sketch comedy series.
The trio first joined SNL in season 47, making their on-screen debut with “Hard Seltzer” on Oct. 9, 2021 before contributing to their first Christmas episode months later on Dec. 18, with Paul Rudd being inducted into the Five-Timers Club as host.
While SNL had become known for its holiday-themed sketches, that year’s episode was marred by the rise of a COVID-19 variant, which forced the show to go on with a limited cast and crew and without a live audience. And for Marshall, Higgins and Martin Herlihy it was a memorable one to work on, especially given the show’s attempt to get back to normal after season 45’s remotely produced episodes and return to Studio 8H for season 46.
Episode nine is “one that stands out to me,” Marshall says while promoting the trio’s limited-edition “roast host collection” with White Claw, recalling that “it was our first year and there was, like, a crazy COVID breakout and the episode got, like, half canceled.”
“It was crazy,” Higgins says, while Marshall notes that guest stars “Tina Fey and Tom Hanks were there trying to figure something out.”
While Marshall and Higgins “were still testing negative,” Herlihy — among other cast members — contracted the virus. “I did have COVID that week and I had to work remotely and I was so jealous that I didn’t get to be there for this weird one of one episode,” recalls Herlihy, who has stayed on SNL for season 51 as a writer. (Higgins, meanwhile, has also contributed to “Weekend Update” segments for two episodes this season.)
Despite being led by Rudd, who was set for a big star-studded return to the show in honor of his fifth time as host, “it ended up being him and a few other people on stage, throwing to clip packages,” continues Marshall, who has transitioned to a featured player for season 51.
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As a result, there was no cold open, while appearances by Candice Bergen, Jimmy Fallon and Jon Hamm were canceled and live musical performances by Charli xcx got axed. However, Hanks and Fey did appear on the show and helped Rudd and cast member Kenan Thompson introduce replays of classic holiday-themed sketches, from “Dick in a Box” to “A Holiday Wish from Steve Martin.”
Despite the craziness of that episode, Higgins remembers a special moment that came out of it — right at the end of the episode. “There was something that Paul Rudd said at the end that we wrote,” he says.
Wrapping things up with his closing monologue, the actor says, “As my good friend, Tom Hanks, once said in a movie, life is like a big, weird chocolate bar. Sometimes it’s delicious, other times it’s got that orange-cream filling in it and it’s like, ‘Okay, it’s not what I would have chosen but that’s better than nothing.’ ”
“We weren’t even on the floor,” Higgins recalls, referring to Studio 8H where the series is filmed. “We were in our office typing and talking to people just through landlines that they had and sending out jokes — and then all of a sudden, that was the end of the episode.”
Looking back on the moment now, Higgins says, “It was so cool.”
As for this season’s Christmas episode, which will be hosted by Ariana Grande and feature musical guest Cher, Marshall and Herlihy admit they haven’t even thought about it yet — despite it being an annual tradition for the show.
“Everything at SNL happens at the very last minute,” Marshall says, with Herlihy saying, “I’ll start thinking about that episode at 5 p.m. on the Monday of that week.”
That said, “Ariana’s the best. We totally hit it off with her the last time she hosted, so that’ll be a super fun one,” Marshall says, with Higgins adding, “It is cool looking at the announcements for it and being excited like a fan of the show. That’s gonna be amazing.”
